Jazz & Improvisation / Free Jazz

Tip! *300 copies limited edition* {scope} came to life in 2020, when musicians Laura Agnusdei, Matteo Pennesi and Luca Sguera got selected for Holydays Festival, an artist residency in Scopoli, a small village in Umbria, central Italy. Despite having never played together before, the musicians found a common musical language which emerged in their first album "A week from Monday", recorded during the residency and released by ViaIndustriae and Rous Records. At the start of 2022 a new opportunity…

After the resounding success of their last album "Garden Island," released in 2021, the octet hailing from Tenerife is back with a new album titled "Ganzfeld." While "Garden Island" drew inspiration from the philosophy of César Manrique and his groundbreaking ecological work on the island of Lanzarote, for this new album, Gaf & The Love Supreme Arkestra turn their creative gaze to the lowland areas of northern Tenerife aka Isla Baja (the low island). Here, they envision a retro-futuristic soundt…

"It is not easy to find a description of what constitutes “the art of the duo” in jazz or improvised music. Suffice to say that any credible description would have to encompass the duo of Gallio and Turner, their approaches to playing together and the contents of You Can Blackmail Me Later." - John Eyles

"Repress of Johnny Dyani's 1979 LP Song for Biko, recorded in the summer of 1978 with the powerful front line-up of Don Cherry and Dudu Pukwana, the album was dedicated to the martyred South African activist against apartheid Steve Biko (1946-1977). Johnny Mbizo Dyani (bassist/composer) was born in East London, South Africa in 1945 and became one of South Africa's most internationally acknowledged musicians. Since his arrival in England in 1965 as a member of South African jazz group called The …

Garth Erasmus is an artist and musician based in Cape Town, South Africa. 'Threnody for the KhoiSan' is his first album under his own name. Since 1985 his artistic interests have broadened to include music-making, designing and making his own instruments based on indigenous KhoiSan knowledge. From 1999 to 2012 he was a member of the South African First Nation activist group Khoi Khonnexion. In the past couple of years Garth Erasmus has also been a pivotal part of various international performanc…

*50 copies edition* "Three of Europe's most acclimated and proven improvisers—pianist Robert Mitchell (Steve Coleman, Greg Osby), bassist Neil Charles, and drummer/percussionist Mark Sanders (Jah Wobble, Rachel Musson)—band together as The Flame for the first time and emerge from pandemic isolation, and the forever wars and broken civics that accompanied it, with a hypnotic performance captured absolutely live on Towards the Flame. Recorded at London's Cafe Otto in February of 2022, The Flame co…

Nine previously unreleased tracks from the golden era of British jazz. Featuring the cream of players and composers from the period. Stereophonic sound.All tracks original source - public domain. These restorations and remasters by British Progressive Jazz © 2024

"In its entirety, the concert is lively and penetrating evidence of Braxton’s remarkable facility, powers of invention, and commitment to his principles at this point in time, with special emphasis on saxophone techniques energizing variables of tone color, texture, and timbre to affect separate phrases, extended lines, and sectional contrasts."  – Art Lange Producer’s note: "I experienced over many years Anthony Braxton different performances. His solo performance 1984 in Bern belongs into the …

"It is a message, and you will hear it sounding firmly through the various pieces that make up The Human Factor, that tells us much about how we might live together: sharing, giving way, simple giving, lifting up, helping ... above all, listening ..."  - Brian Morton

The package includes reflections by producer Zev Feldman and acclaimed jazz writer Adam Shatz, as well as the testimonies of the concert’s bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The extensive booklet also contains interviews with Jane Bunnett, David Virelles, David Liebman, Vijay Iyer, Evan Parker, and Mal Waldron’s widow, Hiromi Waldron, as well as never-before-seen photos from the actual concert taken by Hugo Peeters.“Lacy and Waldron first shared a stage at the Five Spot in 1958 …

Introducing a musical treasure from the enigmatic Sun Ra's expansive discography, Strut Records proudly presents "Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC”. This extraordinary album unveils previously unreleased recordings from the year 1986 for the very first time, showcasing a unique chapter in the Sun Ra catalogue, officially released for Record Store Day 2024. Introducing the inaugural release of "lost" sessions from 1986, where Sun Ra encountered the OVC. These remarkable recordings wer…

Absolute killer session recorded at Vanguard Studios, New York, September 24 and 28 in 1984, with an intense line-up of some of our all-time-fav players of free music, including of tenor-saxophonist Frank Lowe, trumpeter Don Cherry, trombonnist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Geri Allen, bassist Charnette Moffett, and drummer Charles Moffett, ensures that this music is worth going for. Phrasing is super articulated and the whole vibe is just contagious. Outstanding interaction. The tandem communicat…

Frank Lowe was a very dynamic tenor saxophonist who derived inspiration from the initial and subsequent movements of free jazz throughout the 1960s. Lowe is most known for his collaborations with drummer Rashied Ali and a few of the many albums released under his own name. Throughout his career, he has often been overshadowed by the influence of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. He has left behind an outstanding collection of solo and leader work, including contributions to Don Cherry's Ralativity…

Resonance Records is proud to announce the first official previously-unissued studio recordings of Eric Dolphy in over 30 years, including 85-minutes of never before released material. Musical Prophet: The Expanded 1963 New York Studio Sessions is being released in partnership with the Eric Dolphy Trust and the Alan Douglas Estate with remastered high-resolution monoaural audio transferred directly from the original tapes. Captured after leaving Prestige/New Jazz Records, and just before recordi…

Unknown spiritual jazz gem recorded in Argentina in the 80s, under the influence of Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, and originally released on Litto Nebbia's label Melopea. Already supported by Gilles Peterson on his radio show, this mind-blowing album combines ethno-free jazz passages and deep progressive compositions led by saxophonist Marcelo Peralta resulting a very impressive ode to the legacy of Coltrane. First time reissue. Includes extensive notes and many previously unpublish…

"In Europe gives a fine glimpse at the power and intensity of Harper's compositions and his tremendous abilities as an improviser... Highly recommended music for post-bop and free jazz appreciators." -  Allmusic

Axes and layers, but also the axes, for striking and cutting. This work embraces the muscular energy of avant-jazz and delicate and dreamlike introspection. The musical references are to the America of Tim Berne and the Europe of Marc Ducret - the polyphony and rhythmic pulse of the urban environment. But the connections, even if not strictly musical, reach far; "Axis: Bold as Love" by Jimi Hendrix and "AlasNoAxis", Jim Black's debut album. More than one axis: axes.

25 copies limited edition. 2024 stock. Lo-fi but still fantastic documentation of a 2011 concert by Arthur Doyle in a duo with drummer Steve Noble. Doyle sounds pretty great to me here. The top end of his sax playing is less powerful than it once was, but a lot of his magic was always derived from his sheer otherness, and there's enough of that here to go around. Noble works hard to provide the right rhythmic racket for whatever's going down, and this is some swank soundtrackery for long drives.…

*2024 stock* Collaborators for years, here is the first shared record release by two of the leading figures in contemporary improvisation, here grappling with trombone, cello, bass, electronics. A disc for explorers of less frequented and predictable sounds, full of unexpected cues and solutions.

*2024 stock* "Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore has been exploring this kind of radical free improvisation since the 1990s. The three pieces on the record feature the guitarist with two highly compatible veterans of the avant-garde scene: cellist and electronic manipulator Walter Prati and trombonist and electronics guru Giancarlo Schiaffini. The three pieces arise from spontaneous improvisation but there is such energy between the musicians that the flow of ideas is uninterrupted." - S. Loew…

From his first full-length album ‘Minima Moralia’ (“Excellent” 8.1 Pitchfork) in 2006, through the subsequent 70+ albums that followed, Chihei Hatakeyama has created a mighty canon of work. Having collaborated with the likes of Ai Kuwabara, Hiroki Chiba, Kei Matsumaru, Gen Hoshino, Terumasa Hino, Tony Allen, and countless others, Shun Ishiwaka is one of Japan’s most prolific modern jazz drummers. Between them they’ve played across ambient, experimental, electronic, pop, hip-hop, jazz, and metal …

Captured at Brooklyn’s Roulette Intermedium in February 2023, Archaisms II focuses on the unique approach to conducted improvisation that each has devised, with a trio of collaborators from the new music realm: Sae Hashimoto and Russell Greenberg of Yarn/Wire and Levy Lorenzo of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). The term “archaisms” refers to a word or phrase of more ancient provenance employed in the context of modern language. In referring to the singular music created by Rudolph …

** Deluxe 180gr. Black vinyl edition. Comes in a deluxe matte laminate gatefold sleeve. Original 1969 BYG album. Mastered to vinyl from BYG tapes by Nick Robbins. Exclusive liner notes by author John Masouri ** Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell, graduates of the revolutionary Ornette Coleman quartet, are in perfect accord on this seminal free jazz set, recorded in Paris during the late sixties. The emphasis, as on all Don Cherry releases, is on the life-giving, often magical qualities of pure sound, c…

** ** Deluxe 180gr. Black vinyl edition. Comes in a deluxe matte laminate gatefold sleeve. Original 1970 BYG album facsimile-edition. Mastered to vinyl from BYG tapes by Nick Robbins. Exclusive liner notes by author John Masouri ** **  Second chapter of Don Cherry’s "Mu" recordings for BYG - a landmark of free jazz improvisation. Don Cherry and drummer Ed Blackwell had both played with Ornette Coleman and contributed to the revolutionary free jazz movement of the late fifties and early sixties. …

** 2-CD set gathering the seminal albums “Mu” First Part and “Mu” Second Part. Restored & remastered from the original tapes by Nick Robbins. New & insightful essay by author & music journalist John Masouri. 6-panel deluxe digi-sleeve echoes the vibe of the original LPs & includes a 16-page booklet. Two printed inner wallets replicate the original LP covers back and front **  Two historic 1969 recording sessions by Don Cherry and drummer Ed Blackwell now assembled on this deluxe 2-CD set that co…

** Deluxe 180gr. Marbled vinyl edition. Comes in a deluxe matte laminate gatefold sleeve. Original 1969 BYG album facsimile-edition. Mastered to vinyl from BYG tapes by Nick Robbins. Exclusive liner notes by author John Masouri **'A Jackson in Your House' is the first of the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series. This album is The Art Ensemble’s most celebrated release and finds the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, mocking and st…

** Deluxe 180gr. Marbled vinyl edition. Comes in a deluxe matte laminate gatefold sleeve. Original 1969 BYG album facsimile-edition. Mastered to vinyl from BYG tapes by Nick Robbins. Exclusive liner notes by author John Masouri ** 'A Jackson in Your House' is the first of the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s renowned trio of albums for BYG's Actuel series. This album is The Art Ensemble’s most celebrated release and finds the American avant-garde jazz collective at their most sensational, mocking and s…

*2024 stock. Custon CDr* From Milford Graves’ guttural experiments with percussion and the body to Mary Lou Williams’ jazz combo interrupted by atonal “fungus,” this compilation of new (1970s) music makes for an eclectic mix of musical sounds. Star innovators Gil Evans, Sam Rivers, Sunny Murray also contribute to this collection of jazz.

*2024 stock. Custom CDr* East New York Ensemble de Music came out of the diverse community of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, where African, West Indian & black American cultures converged. First and foremost a deep Spiritual Jazz record, At The Helm also incorporates elements of the West Indies, and both the Near and Far East. Originally issued in a very small pressing by Folkway Records in 1974, at a time when the label was doing some great underground recordings! The sound is loose and free – spiritually…

4CD + 40 pages booklet with photos and an essay in english and Italian by Mario Gamba

Trost Records returns with a blasting gut-punch of an LP, with “Live at SuperDeluxe - Volume 1”, a full throttle body of improvisations from the all-star quartet of Akira Sakata, Jim O'Rourke, Mette Rasmussen, and Chris Corsano - never before captured on tape - live at legendary Tokyo venue, SuperDeluxe. Riding the wire between free jazz and noise, it's nothing short of powerful, real-time advocation of socio-political importance of free improvisation that leaves you on the edge of your seat fro…

*200 copies edition* The New Album by Francisco Mela and Zoh Amba 'Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2' is a celebration of differences and unity. Creativity in general and experimental music in particular can serve as a conduit to the inner soul of its creators, a kind of spiritual path that goes two ways and allows a deeper understanding also of ourselves. It's a light projecting the humanity of the players that simultaneously reflects the creator and the humanity in all of us. The vulnerability of the art…

John Cassavetes’ directorial debut Shadows was a largely improvised film set in the bohemian jazz scene of 1950s New York; often referred to as the first truly independent film of American cinema, it featured a brief disjointed soundtrack improvised by Charles Mingus and his saxophonist Shafi Hadi, with various percussionists slotting in, including Phineas Newborn Jr. Gloriously messy, reportedly unfinished and referred to with scorn by Mingus, the Shadows soundtrack sketches ultimately yielded …

Trio with Daunik Lazro on tenor sax, Benjamin Duboc on bass and Mathieu Bec on drums. The album is entitled Standards Combustion, 9 tracks, mostly jazz standards, 2 Ayler compositions, 2 by Coltrane, 1 by Lacy and 1 by Shorter… Recorded at Les Instants Chavirés, Montreuil, France on November 17 and 18, 2022.

*2024 stock* This recording was made on the day of the fortieth anniversary of saxophonist Mario Schiano's first jazz concert. He is joined by longtime collaborators, trombonist Giancarlo Schiaffini and bassist Bruno Tommaso, all of whom engage in nine free excursions of the highest order. Schiano sounds as fresh as ever, his revolutionary fervor never diminishing. Performing on both soprano and alto saxophones, his bittersweet tone and focused flights of fancy mesh brilliantly with Schiaffini's…

"Between 1968 and 1970, the P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble recorded three LPs. Self-released at the time in small runs (50 to 100) by teenaged bandleader, composer, pianist, and vibraphonist Phil Hewitt, they documented an enthralling and energetic — and somewhat outsider — vision rooted in post-bop modal jazz. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hewitt was 16 when he made the first record. He was already a pilot and was also pursuing studies in the field of music as a healing agent. All of this pro…

lll人 = Daichi Yoshikawa + Paul Abbott + Seymour Wright. lll人 came from London in 2012, and played there, and internationally: Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Dala Floda, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Ljublana, Paris, and Tokyo. With lll人 the tools are familiar, the listening is not. VICTOR is a 2-CD for lll人's friend Victor Schonfield (1940-2022).

Saxophonist Omicil builds atmospheres then upends expectations in this free-jazz homage to Haiti’s successful 18th-century slave insurrection - The Guardian

First visit archive offers previously unreleased recordings of historic and musical importance. "When, in this music, he succeeds in fusing the emotional (translated into its lyrical and dramatic qualities) pas- sage of ritual with the complex architecture of his ensemble’s infrastructural procedures, we have a bridge into Cecil Taylor’s creative spirit, and far beyond." - Art Lange "I was present at the recordings, sitting in the recording truck in front of Fat Tuesday’s in NYC. The recording w…

"Marion Brown was already defying categorisation in 1966 when he recorded Three For Shepp, whose six tracks open Three For Shepp To Gespächsfetzen Revisited. Brown’s opening “New Blues” and Archie Shepp’s closing “Delicado,” though compelling,are relatively orthodox expressions of mid 1960s NewThing. The four tracks they bookend, however, are distinctive even today. Brown’s exquisite “Fortunato,” though it sounds like nothing Pharoah Sanders ever wrote, inhabits similarly pretty terrain as Sand…